There are conventional game systems in which a player can play a game with more realistic gameplay by game operations of moving a controller device itself. For example, there are game systems which have a player character execute a golf swing action in a virtual game space in response to an operation of swinging a controller device as if it was a golf club.
In such a game system, a game image is displayed on a display device (television) provided in front of a player. While the player takes a swing as if to hit a ball placed on the floor surface below the player himself/herself, the ball is displayed in front of, not below, the player, thus resulting in the player taking a swing at a position where the ball is actually absent. Therefore, the player cannot feel as if the player was taking a swing at a ball, and the game operation of taking a swing gives a feel that is slightly different from a swing action in actual golf. Thus, although such a game system allows the player to perform a game operation by an operation similar to a swing action of actually swinging a golf club, there is room for improvement in terms of providing a realistic game that feels as if the player was playing actual golf.
Therefore, in example embodiments, the present specification discloses a game system, a game device, a game program and a game process method with which it is possible to provide a more realistic game in which game operations are performed by moving a controller device.
(1)
An example game system described in the present specification includes a game device, a controller device, and a portable display device.
The controller device includes a movement data output section and an operation data output section. The movement data output section outputs movement data based on a movement of the controller device. The operation data output section transmits operation data including the movement data to the game device.
The game device includes a first receiving section, a game process section, a first image output section, and a second image output section. The first receiving section receives the operation data from the controller device. The game process section performs a game control process based on the operation data to generate a first game image and a second game image based on a result of performing the game control process. The first image output section outputs the first game image to a predetermined display device separate from the portable display device. The second image output section outputs the second game image to the portable display device.
The portable display device includes a second receiving section and a display section. The second receiving section receives the second game image from the game device; and. The display section displays the second game image.
The game process section includes a second image generation section, an object control section, and a first image generation section. The second image generation section generates a second game image including an image representing a first object placed in a virtual game space. The object control section calculates the movement of the controller device based on the movement data to move the first object based on the movement. The first image generation section generates the first game image by setting a first virtual camera in the game space so that the first object, at least after the first object is moved, is included in a viewing field range.
The “game device” may be any information processing device capable of performing game processes to generate an image based on the game processes. The game device may be a single-purpose information processing device for games, or a general-purpose information processing device such as an ordinary personal computer.
The “controller device” may further include other components such as a controller described in the embodiment to be described below, in addition to the components described above. For example, the controller device may further include a display mechanism and a sound output mechanism.
The term “portable” means that the device has such a size that it can be held and moved by the user, and the position thereof can be changed to another position by the user. The “portable display device” may be fixed (not moved) during a game as in the embodiment to be described below, or may be moved around during a game.
The “game system” may only include a game device, a controller device, and a portable display device, and may or may not include the predetermined display device for displaying the first game image. That is, the game system may be provided in a form that does not include the display device.
The “movement of the controller device” includes changes in the position of the controller device and changes in the attitude thereof. That is, the “movement” may mean either changes of position or changes of attitude, or it may mean both changes of position and changes of attitude. The “movement data” may be any data as long as the game process section can calculate (estimate) any movement of the controller device based on the movement data.
As long as the “predetermined display device” is separate from the portable display device, it may be any display device capable of displaying the first game image generated by the game device, as well as than the television 2 illustrated in the embodiment to be described below. For example, the “predetermined display device” may be a display device formed integral (in a single housing) with the game device.
The “image representing the first object” may be generated by any method, and it may be obtained by generating an image of the first object as seen from a virtual camera set in the game space or may be provided in advance in the game device or the game program.
The “first image generation section” may set the first virtual camera so that the first object, “at least after the first object is moved”, is included in the viewing field range, and the first object before the first object is moved may be displayed on the predetermined display device. With the first game image generated by the first image generation section, the first object after it is moved does not have to be always displayed. For example, the first object may not be displayed due to the presence of another object between the first virtual camera and the first object. Moreover, there may be an upper limit to the moving velocity of the first virtual camera in order for the first game image to be viewed easily, and the first object may therefore be temporarily out of the viewing field range of the first virtual camera.
With the configuration (1) above, the player can move the first object in the virtual game space by an operation of moving the controller device. Then, by placing the portable display device at an appropriate position depending on the contents of the game, the operation performed on the first object can be made more realistic. For example, where the player performs an operation on the golf ball with the controller device in a golf game, the portable display device can be placed on the floor surface in front of the player, and the player can hit the ball in an operation as if the player was actually hitting the ball placed on the floor surface. With the configuration (1) above, since a portable display device is used, the placement of the portable display device can be easily changed depending on the contents of the game, etc.
In a case in which the portable display device is placed at an intended position for the purpose of making the operation on the first object more realistic, it may be difficult with the portable display device to display, in an easily viewable manner, the first object after being moved by an operation by the player. In contrast, with the configuration (1) above, the first object after being moved is displayed on the predetermined display device, and it is therefore possible to reliably present to the player the first object after being moved.
(2)
The object control section may control an action of a second object placed in the game space based on the movement data to move the first object based on the action of the second object. With the configuration (2) above, the object control section may move the first object in response to satisfaction of at least a condition that the first object and the second object have come into contact with each other in the game space.
With the configuration (2) above, the player can control the action of the second object by an operation of moving the controller device, and the first object moves in response to the action of the second object. Thus, the player can move the first object with the virtual second object (e.g., hit a ball with a golf club) by a more realistic operation.
(3)
The movement data output section may output attitude data based on an attitude of the controller device as the movement data. Then, the object control section calculates the attitude of the controller device based on the movement data, and controls the action of the second object based on the attitude. The second image generation section generates the second game image including an image representing at least a part of the second object when a predetermined axis of the controller device lies within a predetermined range including such a direction that the predetermined axis extends toward the portable display device.
The phrase “when a predetermined axis of the controller device lies within a predetermined range including such a direction that the predetermined axis extends toward the portable display device” means a state where the predetermined axis of the controller device extends toward the portable display device or the vicinity thereof. For example, in a case in which the controller device includes an image-capturing device, the game device may determine that “the predetermined axis of the controller device lies within a predetermined range including such a direction that the predetermined axis extends toward the portable display device” if the image-capturing device is capturing an image of the portable display device (if the portable display device is included in the image-capturing range of the image-capturing device).
With the configuration (3) above, at least a part of the second object is displayed on the portable display device when the predetermined axis of the controller device is directed toward the portable display device. Therefore, by looking at the portable display device, the player can feel as if the player was moving the second object by moving the controller device, thus allowing for a more realistic operation.
(4)
The movement data output section may output attitude data based on an attitude of the controller device as the movement data. Then, the object control section calculates the attitude of the controller device based on the movement data, and moves the first object when a predetermined axis of the controller device extends toward an image of the first object displayed on the portable display device.
With the configuration (4) above, the player can move the first object by directing the predetermined axis of the controller device toward the portable display device. This can make the player feel as if the player was actually controlling the first object with the controller device, thus providing a more realistic operation.
(5)
The object control section may calculate a moving velocity of the first object based on a velocity of the controller device when the predetermined axis of the controller device extends toward the image of the first object.
With the configuration (5) above, the first object moves with a velocity based on the velocity of the controller device when the predetermined axis of the controller device is directed toward the portable display device. Therefore, the player can move the first object by an operation of swinging the controller device, and since the moving velocity of the first object can be changed based on how fast the controller device is swung, the operation of moving the first object can be made more realistic.
(6)
The object control section may calculate a moving direction of the first object based on an attitude for rotation about the predetermined axis of the controller device when the predetermined axis of the controller device extends toward the image of the first object.
With the configuration (6) above, the moving direction of the first object changes based on the direction of the controller device when the predetermined axis of the controller device is directed toward the portable display device. Therefore, the player can move the first object by an operation of swinging the controller device and can also change the moving direction of the first object depending on the direction of the controller device when it is swung, and therefore the operation of moving the first object can be made more realistic.
(7)
The movement data output section may output movement data including captured image data of a captured image captured by an image-capturing device provided in the controller device. Then, the object control section calculates an attitude of the controller device based on a position, in the captured image, of a predetermined image-capturing object provided on the portable display device, and controls an action of the first object based on the attitude of the controller device.
The “captured image data” may be the image data itself of the captured image or may be data representing information obtained from the captured image (e.g., information indicating the position of a predetermined image-capturing object in the captured image such as the marker coordinates in the embodiment to be described below).
With the configuration (7) above, the attitude of the controller device is calculated based on the position of the image-capturing object in the captured image. Therefore, it is possible to accurately calculate the attitude of the controller device, and it is therefore possible to accurately control the action of the first object using the controller device.
(8)
The object control section may calculate the attitude of the controller device based on the captured image data so that a predetermined axis of the controller device lies within a predetermined range including such a direction that the predetermined axis extends toward the portable display device when the image-capturing device is capturing an image of the image-capturing object.
With the configuration (8) above, it is possible to accurately determine whether the image-capturing direction of the controller device is directed toward the portable display device, irrespective of the positional relationship between the controller device and the portable display device. Therefore, the configuration (8) above is particularly advantageous in cases where a predetermined process is performed based on the positional relationship between the controller device and the portable display device, as with the configuration (3) or (4) above.
(9)
The movement data output section may include a sensor whose detection result varies based on the attitude of the controller device, and outputs movement data which further includes output data of the sensor. Then, the object control section calculates the attitude of the controller device based on the output data of the sensor, and adjusts the calculated attitude based on the captured image data when the image-capturing device is capturing an image of the image-capturing object.
With the configuration (9) above, it is possible to accurately calculate the attitude of the controller device by calculating the attitude of the controller device while additionally using the output of the sensor whose detection result varies based on the attitude.
(10)
The movement data output section may include an acceleration sensor and a gyrosensor as the sensor. Then, the movement data includes acceleration data detected by the acceleration sensor and angular velocity data detected by the gyrosensor. The object control section adjusts, using the acceleration data and the captured image data, the attitude of the controller device calculated based on the angular velocity data.
With the configuration (10) above, it is possible to more accurately calculate the attitude of the controller device by using detection results of the acceleration sensor and the gyrosensor.
(11)
The second image generation section may place a second virtual camera in the game space so that the first object is included in the viewing field range, and generate, as the second game image, an image of the game space as seen from the second virtual camera.
With the configuration (11) above, since the second game image is generated using the second virtual camera placed in the game space, the game device can generate the second game image without providing image data in advance.
(12)
The second image generation section may generate the second game image using image data representing an object stored in a memory accessible from the game device.
With the configuration (12) above, the second image generation section may use image data stored in the memory for at least some of the plurality of objects to be displayed as the second game image, whereas images may be generated using the virtual camera for the other objects. That is, the second image generation section may generate the game image by combining images provided in advance with images generated using the virtual camera.
With the configuration (12) above, since the second game image is generated using image data provided in advance, it is possible to generate more realistic game images by simple processes.
(13)
Another example game system described in the present specification is a game system including a game device, a controller device, and a portable display device. The game system includes an operation data obtaining section, a first image generation section, an object control section, and a second image generation section. The operation data obtaining section obtains operation data including movement data based on a movement of the controller device. The first image generation section generates, as a game image to be displayed on the portable display device, a game image including an image representing a predetermined object placed in a virtual game space. The object control section calculates a movement of the controller device based on the movement data to move the object based on the movement. The second image generation section generates, as a game image to be displayed on a predetermined display device separate from the portable display device, a game image by setting a virtual camera in the game space so that at least the object after being moved is included in a viewing field range.
With the configuration (13) above, the operation of moving an object in the virtual game space by moving the controller device can be made more realistic by placing the portable display device at an appropriate position depending on the contents of the game, as with the configuration (1) above. As the object after being moved is displayed on the predetermined display device, it is possible to reliably present to the player the object after being moved.
(14)
Another example game system described in the present specification is a game system including a game device, a controller device, and a portable display device. The game system includes a first display control section, a first control section, a second control section, and a second display control section. The first display control section displays, on the portable display device, an image representing a ball placed in a virtual game space. The first control section calculates an attitude of the controller device to move a club in the game space based on the attitude. The second control section moves the ball in response to the club striking the ball. The second display control section displays, on a predetermined display device separate from the portable display device, an image of the game space including at least the ball after being moved.
With the configuration (14) above, the operation of moving the club in the virtual game space by moving the controller device can be made more realistic by placing the portable display device at an appropriate position (e.g., on the floor surface in front of the player and in front of the predetermined display device). As the ball which is traveling after being hit by the club is displayed on the predetermined display device, it is possible to reliably present to the player the ball after being moved.
(15)
An example game device described in the present specification is capable of communicating with a controller device and a portable display device. The game device includes a receiving section, a game process section, a first image output section, and a second image output section. The receiving section receives, from the controller device, operation data including movement data based on a movement of the controller device. The game process section performs a game control process based on the operation data to generate a first game image and a second game image based on a result of performing the game control process. The first image output section outputs the first game image to a predetermined display device separate from the portable display device. The second image output section outputs the second game image to the portable display device so as to display the second game image on the portable display device.
The game process section includes a second image generation section, an object control section, and a first image generation section. The second image generation section generates a second game image including an image representing a first object placed in a virtual game space. The object control section calculates the movement of the controller device based on the movement data to move the first object based on the movement. The first image generation section generates the first game image by setting a first virtual camera in the game space so that the first object, at least after the first object is moved, is included in a viewing field range.
With the configuration (16) above, the operation on the first object can be made more realistic, as with the configuration (1) above.
The present specification also discloses a computer-readable storage medium storing a game program which instructs a computer of a game device to function as various mechanisms equivalent to various sections of the game device in the configurations (1) to (15) above. The present specification also discloses a game process method to be executed in the game system of the configurations (1) to (14) above.
With the game system, the game device, the storage medium storing a game program, and the game process method described above, an object in a game space is displayed on a portable display device, and the object is moved by an operation of moving the controller device, wherein the object after being moved is displayed on a predetermined display device. Therefore, by placing the portable display device at an appropriate position based on the contents of the game, the operation of moving the object with the controller device can be made more realistic. As the object after being moved is displayed on the predetermined display device, it is possible to reliably present to the player the object after being moved.
These and other features, aspects and advantages will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.